The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-03-02
a ~"NIISCRIEVOUs THEORY,

A"AIISCHIEVOUS THEORY"
The object Of government is tC
protect the weak from the encroach
ments of the strong, and to protecr
men in tho enjoyment of their nat
ural right. This is the object Of al
governments, and only this. A lit
tie more than n century ago Il gov
ernmcnt was formed upon the prin
ciple that all mon are entitled &c
an equal degree Of liberty. Ono
hundred years ago This government
was an untricd experiment., but
those who framed our constitution
"buildcd better than they lkncw."-
Time has failed to shake our inSti-
tutions, and every departure from
the democratic principles upon
which our government rests, has
been a departure from civil liberty.
If instead of abusing those men
who hold office and stirring strife
over petty annoyances and imagi-
nary evils, we could organize to
study democracy, and to return to
the first principles of our republican
government, much more would be
accomplished. We mood to study
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS dcmocra-
cy. If we take the platform OF the
national democratic party for the
last twenty-five years, and cont
pare it with the Legislation Of demo-
Gratis for tho past few years, we find
In many instances that prcccpt and
practice are at variance.
When President Cleveland said:
"Though the people support the gov
eminent, tho government should
not support the people," he enun-
ciated a grand democratic doctrine
which is often lost sight Of in solv-
ing political problems. Carry out
this doctrine and what becomes Of
the high protective tariff? Where
Is your government of tho people
for the people and by tho people:'
What becomes Of through dcmoc-
racy"
The following extract from q re-
publican newspaper, is, as the Ncus
and Courier justly remarks, stolen
from the platform Of the demo-
cratic party:
"Other things being equal, that is
"the best government which is the
"least felt and which NEEDLES tho
"least with the private affairs and
"business Of the people. The prop-
Ger functions Of government arc
"few and simple. All laws should
"relate to society as Il whole, and
"not to any particular class, and
"should aim to establish fundamen-
"tal principles rather than special
"rulcS. That is n miscellaneous the
tory of government which attempts
"to regulate and reform everything.
''There is more to be feared from
"toO much legislation than there is
"from too little. M~eddlcsOme leg
"~islation is a great and growing
"cvil."
"That is a miscellaneous theory Of
government which attempts to reg
ulate and reform cverything."-
This "mischicvous theory" has OBJ
tanned largely in this State. The
result is, we have laws on every
subject made to meet every cOntin-
gency, different in every County,
but passed by the legislature every
time the delegation from a County
can agree on Il bill.
The great trouble is, the people
expect too much from the govern
mont. They expect and attempt
to force it to do that which it was
eve designed to do. They
pcct it to take the place Of the
church and make men religious
They expect it to change a mans
appetite and make him sober; to
change the seasons so as to make
farmers prosperous; to reduce the
necessity for labor; to regulate the
cost Of living and to repeal the Di-
vine law, which requires that a
man shall work in order to live.
OUR FARMERS COLUMN.
1t is the attn ofTUE ADvERTIsER